Since ancient times, logistics and materials have been a priority in battles. Looking at Yang Guang's first battle with Goguryeo, it is clear that he learned the lesson from the hasty expedition to Goguryeo during the Kaihuang period. His preparations before the war alone took more than a year. Time, and Yang Ji's time this time is actually not much different from the battle during the Kaihuang period, because he was just like Yang Liang back then, and was driven to the shelf by Yang Guang. Not to mention that there are no decent naval forces now. When it comes to food, I have to figure it out myself.
Nowadays, although the great clans of the Guanlong nobles are transporting grain, grass and medicinal materials to Liaodong, time and transportation capacity are limited, so more than half of the supplies are still on the way.
At the military meeting, Yang Ji entrusted all the logistics, baggage, and military affairs of the East Route Army to Chief Shi Weijin. This was not only because Wei Jin was upright, prudent, and thoughtful, but more importantly, he had an extraordinary reputation in Guanzhong. and influence.
With him fully taking over the logistics, it is far more effective than Yang Ji's people, and there is no need to worry about him committing fraud or corruption. It can be said to be the best of both worlds.
But despite this, Yang Ji was still very busy in the next few days. He led his staff and generals all day long to analyze the military information sent by the scouts ahead, analyze the strategic value and significance of each city in Goguryeo, and analyze Gao Yuan's actions during the war. The profound meaning of the number of troops deployed in each city.
After obtaining the results, we will make our own military deployment and assign tasks based on the enemy's deployment.
In the evening, Yang Ji returned to his dormitory from the military camp. After a simple dinner, he sat in the front tent and watched a letter from Yang Guang. In the letter, Yang Guang not only affirmed Yang Ji's actions in Youzhou, but also explained his punishment. Yang Ji's helplessness.
Yang Ji understood this very well. After all, Yang Guang was the emperor. If he didn't punish himself severely, he really couldn't explain it to the Sui Dynasty officialdom. Otherwise, he would make a bad start and it would be very difficult to deal with in the future.
Moreover, this so-called severe punishment is actually a matter of lifting it high and putting it down gently. Just because the positions removed were all part-time positions he held in the central government, and the positions demoted were only civil and military officials, they had no impact on his power at all.
Based on what he did in Youzhou, if he was seriously investigated, he should be beheaded. However, Yang Guang killed him before the situation escalated.
"Severely punishing" him was actually a great protection; if it had been delayed for a few days, it would have been even more difficult for Yang Guang, who was under the influence of power, and the positions he would lose in the end would not only be the assistant minister of the military department of the school, and the left officer of the school inspection. Yiwei has become a general.
After reading this letter, I opened another one to read. The content above was about the compromise between the Li family in Zhaojun and the Cui family in Qinghe in the officialdom of Jizhou, the compromise between the Wang family in Taiyuan in the officialdom in northern Bingzhou, and the official plan of the imperial court to circumvent the system. The He rotation system was promoted in Youzhou, Jizhou and Bingzhou.
Yang Ji handed the letter to Hao Yuan and said with a smile: "The saint took advantage of the opportunity this time and used it very timely. He returned the letter faster than we expected. He passed it to Ling Jing next to him and told Yang Ji Said: “Your Majesty is right. It's just that the saint's purge of the official circles in Jizhou and Bingzhou was a compromise after all, which also made the purge not as thorough as that of Liangzhou. It would take a lot of time to reach the level of Liangzhou. "The emperor adopted a strategy of gradual integration in Jizhou and Bingzhou. He first eliminated the peripheral forces of the three famous families and transferred the disciples of the famous families to other places. Then he drove the connected Shandong famous families from strength to corner, and finally trapped them in the isolated city. Then he successfully entered it with the help of the avoidance system and the rotation system, weakening the influence and control of the famous families on the officialdom, allowing small and medium-sized families and poor families to see the hope of their own rise, and gradually gathered around the emperor.
In terms of overall planning, the biggest advantage of the emperor's method is that it is stable. It is less disruptive than Yang Ji's forceful eviction in Liangzhou. However, the variables left are too great. If you are not careful or can't persist, it will be in vain.
It's just that Yang Ji was able to achieve great success in Liangzhou. First, because there were no big aristocratic families in Liangzhou, and the local tycoons had committed various crimes. He was able to mobilize public opinion to eradicate them in one fell swoop.
Second, there were Turks and Tuyuhun threats outside Liangzhou at that time; there were Dangxiang and horse thieves in Liangzhou who were causing rebellion, and Yinwu, Tingzhou, Xizhou, Shanshan, Qiemo and other places were the territories he fought for the Sui Dynasty with one sword and one shot. , so Yang Ji was able to carry out drastic changes without any internal interference.
Although other places do not have the innate conditions for comprehensive changes in Liangzhou, it does not mean that they cannot learn from and promote it. In fact, Yang Guang also promoted the Liangzhou New Deal in Jiaozhou, northern Yongzhou, southern Yizhou, and eastern Youzhou, which were not considered by the big families. , and after several years of persistence, it has also achieved success.
But the situation in places where there are many aristocratic families is completely different, because the connections and influence behind famous families are terrifyingly powerful. Although this kind of thing is intangible and invisible, it actually exists and affects everywhere, and it is extremely difficult to eradicate.
To put it bluntly, as long as one of them has not moved away from the base camp, they can use the family's influence and reputation to recruit new officials as their own, and then use these new officials to establish their own laws elsewhere.
Once they succeed, their influence on the world will be far greater and more secretive than it is now! And what they got was more than what they got now.
"It's true!" Yang Ji was more open-minded. He took a sip of herbal tea and said to Hao Yuan optimistically: "The aristocratic family is deeply rooted and affects all walks of life in the world. It is indeed difficult to break this cage if you are anxious. . However, the Sui Dynasty had already opened the door to change as early as the late emperor's period. No matter whether they were saints or princes who would ascend the throne in the future, they could only follow this path."
"What we have to do is to spread the fire of change; as long as the people know the benefits of change and the New Deal, they will look forward to change and the New Deal. In the face of this torrent of times demanding change, the family No matter how unwilling the clans are to admit or oppose, they still know that this is the general trend. Anyone who dares to resist is going against the general trend and public opinion, and will be swept away by the torrent of change." People are born with grades, no matter what era they are in. They are all the same, even in an era when everyone is equal, but they are not as distinct as the Sui Dynasty.
It is impossible to realize the dream of completely eliminating classes. The only difference is that a new class replaces the old class.
But as times change, the new stage will turn into the old one, and the new stage will overthrow the old one.
As far as the current Sui Dynasty is concerned, the old classes and order are not only unsuitable for the development of the times, but also not in line with the interests of the royal family.
Since the current situation is like this, Yang Ji must break this old order, whether for himself or to promote the development of the times. If he does not break and overthrow it, not only will it be detrimental to the progress of the nation, but he will also be doomed.
As for where he can go in the future, it has nothing to do with Yang Ji.
"What the king said is true." Ling Jing smiled and nodded.
"I think there are other ways to speed up the change." Yang Ji pondered for a while, and his eyes suddenly flashed with an inexplicable brilliance: "The five counties of Liaodong, Mozhou, Raolezhou, Yanjun, and Liucheng in Youzhou have already The reason why the implementation of the Liangzhou New Deal has not been extended to the entire territory is because the officialdom of Zhuojun, Anle and other counties do not have specific conditions. Today, the officialdom of Youzhou has been wiped out by me, and it already has the foundation for major changes. And Xue Shixiong is Zhuojun The prefect and Xiao Shiwen have recommended themselves as the governor of Youzhou. If I ask them to fully promote Liangzhou's New Deal in Youzhou, do you think it will affect Jizhou and Bingzhou?" As he spoke, Yang Ji raised a smile at the corner of his mouth. Bad smile.
Hao Yuan and Ling Jing glanced at each other. The former thought for a while and said: "Prefect Xue is a military commander, so he may not be able to think so much and long-term. However, Xiao Shiwen has been deeply involved in Liangzhou's reforms and is a staunch supporter of them. When he When he recommended himself to the sage as an official, I am afraid he already had similar thoughts in his mind. But Youzhou is different from Liangzhou after all, and it will definitely be difficult for him to promote the system of sharing a small portion to an acre. But if he really does it , It will definitely have a huge impact on Jizhou and Bingzhou." Ling Jing said with a smile: "That is Xiao Shiwen's difficulty, not ours. What we have to do is to add fuel to the flames and give our full support. If we miss this great opportunity, It will be more difficult to promote in the future than before, and Liu Quan, Wang Wei, Liang Mo, Li Qiong, and Liu Wujian of Jizhou will also have nothing to do." After a pause, Ling Jing continued: "Tuoba Cheng, the governor of Hejian County and county officials were captured, which also gave Hejian a basis for change. If any one of Liu, Wang, Li, Liu and others could become the prefect, he would be able to implement the New Deal and reconcile with You. The states are connected together. The important thing is that Hejian belongs to Jizhou. If the new policy can be implemented here, the impact on other counties in Jizhou will be greater and faster."
"Jingzhi is right." Yang Jishen nodded in agreement. Yang Guang asked Liu Quan, Wang Wei, Liang Mo, Li Qiong, Liu Wujian and others to serve in Jizhou for the purpose of promoting the New Deal, but there was never a chance, and Yang Guang also needed to rely on the Shandong nobles to check and balance the Guanlong nobles, which resulted in their delay in playing their role.
He thought for a while and then asked: "Compared with Liu Quan and others, who do you think is more suitable to be the governor of Hejian County?" Hao Yuan thought for a moment and said: "Li Qiong and Liu Wujian are military generals. Although they I have been a prefect, but I am not flexible enough and do not have a thorough understanding of the New Deal. I think Liu Quan, Wang Wei, and Liang Mo can all do it. If possible, Liu Quan can be a prefect and Wang Wei can be a long history. If the two work together, , will definitely double the power, and at the same time, he also knows how to cooperate with Xiao Shiwen of Youzhou."
"Okay, I will write a letter to the saint immediately and ask him to make full use of this opportunity." After Yang Ji finished speaking, he ordered the two of them: "In my name, write a letter to Xiao Shiwen and Liu Quan respectively. Let them be prepared."
"Yes!" Hao Yuan and Ling Jing accepted the order with their hands raised. . . . . The political philosophy that geography determines politics applies not only to the Central Plains, but also to Goguryeo.
Goguryeo's domestic forces were isolated by mountains and rivers. After a thousand years of mutual annexation, they finally formed a very strong five tribes: Chuannu, Juonu, Shunnu, Guannu, and Guilou. Because each of the five tribes controlled the territory, they each had their own territory. Also known as east, west, south, north, interior.
During the long-term power struggle, these five stubborn groups each held together to keep warm, and evolved into two major political groups, the north and the south. The two were separated by Yalu River, with the north belonging to the Yuan group and the south to the Gao group.
The purpose of King Goryeo's move of the capital from the domestic city on the north bank of Yalu River to Pyongyang City in the south was actually the same as that of Yang Guangqian. They were both to get rid of forces beyond their control, to escape from the enemy's encirclement, and to only have their own safety. Only then can we carry out subsequent reforms and eliminate the Yuan clan that threatens the royal power.
Goguryeo now has a capital city and two companion capitals. The capital city is Pyongyang City in the south, the domestic city in the middle and the Liaodong City in the north.
Liaodong City was the center of the north and was also the Xiangping City of the Han Dynasty. After Goguryeo occupied the Liaodong Plain, Xiangping City was renamed Liaodong City and re-expanded.
Today's Liaodong City is square in shape, with a perimeter of ten miles, and three gates in the east, south and west. The overall scale is grand, tall and solid, easy to defend and difficult to attack.
The interior of this city is the same as the capital Pyongyang. It is divided into an inner city and a barbican city by two layers of walls inside and outside. In the magnificent palace of Liaodong City, King Gao Yuan of Goguryeo stood in front of the window, looking at the map on the wall.
Gao Yuan was over fifty years old. He was tall and strong, with a kingly look between his eyebrows. He was the son of Gao Yangcheng, king of Pingyuan. He was established as the prince in 565. After King Pingyuan died in 590, he inherited Goguryeo. At the beginning of his succession to the throne, he took the initiative to proclaim himself a minister to the Sui Dynasty, and was conferred by Yang Jian as Kaifu Yitong Sansi and Liaodong County Duke. After firmly assuming the throne, Gao Yuan made another request to the Sui Dynasty, hoping that Yang Jian He was promoted to king, and Yang Jian agreed to this request.
However, Gao Yuan regarded Yang Jian's benevolence and righteousness as weakness, thinking that the Sui Dynasty was under the threat of the Turkic Khanate and did not dare to do anything to him, so he personally led the Goguryeo coalition forces to invade the Sui Dynasty in 598.
This move was not only to expand the territory of Goguryeo, but also to establish its own reputation and authority in the north. If it successfully expanded its power to the west bank of the Liao River, it would be able to overshadow the Yuan clan with its own military exploits.
However, the strength of the Sui Dynasty was unexpected, and the Yuan Group also had a cold-looking attitude and a stand-by attitude. Gao Yuan had no choice but to apologize to the Sui Dynasty in fear and claimed that
"Liaodong dung soil minister Yuan". Since then, Gao Yuan's influence and reputation in the north have been declining, and he has become a joke and a laughing stock within the Yuan Group.
Although Gao Yuan is extremely dissatisfied with the Yuan Group and the Yuan Group, he also knows in his heart that only by working together can both parties survive any crisis.
In fact, Gao Yuan had advocated professing tribulation to the Sui Dynasty since the 19th year after he became emperor. Especially after Yang Guang ascended the throne as emperor, his intention to do so became even more serious. He, Eulji Mundeok and other southern forces advocated all-out development southward. After concentrating all efforts to unify the peninsula, they can then compete with the Sui Dynasty as a whole.
However, the northern forces headed by Yuan Ziyou and Yuan Zicheng held objections. They believed that the Sui Dynasty during the Yang Jian period regarded Goguryeo, which had strong troops and horses, as a threat. However, the historical conditions were not mature at that time and the primary enemy was the Turkic Khanate. , so he had no choice but to give up after Gao Yuan came forward to apologize.
Nowadays, the Turkic Khanate has been beaten to pieces. Sui Emperor Yang Guang wants to send troops to Goguryeo, whether for the security of the northeast or out of revenge. In addition, there is almost a unanimous consensus among the Sui emperors and ministers. , that is, Goguryeo must be taught a lesson, so whether it is professed or not will not change the fact that the Sui Dynasty will march into Liaodong.
Since the Sui Dynasty definitely knew how to use troops, if Goguryeo transferred all its troops to the south to fight, the Sui Dynasty could easily recapture the Liaodong Plain.
So don’t have any illusions about peace and peace talks. The fact was exactly what the Yuan brothers had expected. Soon after, Yang Ji took advantage of the opportunity to seize the northern part of the Liaodong Plain and annihilated their army of more than 100,000. However, Gao Yuan believed that all this was caused by Yuan Ziyou. If he had not had ambitions for Khitan, nothing would have happened now.
Just this morning, Gao Yuan got news that the Sui army was building river-crossing equipment on the other side of the Liao River and was preparing for a full-scale war. This made him know that if he wanted to keep Guozuo, he had only two ways to go. One was to fight with The Sui army negotiated a peace and met all the other party's conditions. The second was to beat the Sui army painfully.
But no matter which path it takes, it needs the consent of the Yuan brothers. After pondering for a long time, he ordered the leader of the guards who was on standby: "Invite Da Duilu and tell him that I have something important to discuss with you!"
"As you command!"
